Kindred Physiology
On Being Static A Kindred’s body is unchanging. The state of the vampire’s body at death is the state the vampire’s body shall remain in for all eternity. This includes hair length, hair color (dye typically fades or seeps out, and hair will tend to revert to its natural shade unless bleached) body modifications (including tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgery), and serious wounds (reflected by the flaw “Permanent Wound.”) Minor abrasions, blemishes, and slight imperfections are healed at Embrace, causing many vampires to have an eerie lean to them. Any changes applied after the Embrace (with a few supernatural exceptions such as fleshcrafting and certain rituals) last for only the night. A Kindred’s body will always, throughout the day, return to its “original” state. Nails and hair will regrow, minor bruises and cuts will gloss over, etc. Bleeding If cut, and even if a limb is lost, Kindred do not bleed. There is no flowing, splashing or dripping of blood. In order for that to happen, a Kindred must force the blood to flow. When any sort of injury happens, the vitae is suspended in the veins, there may be some initial scattering of drops from whatever weapon does the damage, but a bullet hole will not leak and a small slash upon the hand will be but a reddish-black gouge. Vitae itself appears darker than human blood. A high Generation vampire, a thin blood, or someone fairly young will still spill the light red drops of a fresh body. Those of condensed lower Generation, and those who are older will have vitae that is a great deal darker, rumours of Methuselahs with entirely black blood is not unfounded. Bodily Functions The organs of Kindred no longer function. Therefore, they do not breathe, eat, blush, sweat, etc. Besides the static moisture of their eyes and their mouths since Embrace, Kindred also do not produce bodily fluids, and more than one person has been unnerved by the bloody 'crying' of a vampire under duress. Furthermore, all air exhaled from Kindred – whether spoken or breathed – will be cool, and will not steam in cold air, because a Kindred’s blood does not circulate, and so they are cold to the touch, noticeably cold in some cases with the appropriate Flaws. A freshly fed Kindred is flushed, euphoric, and warm for about an hour, but Kindred are naturally room temperature. However, no matter how warm their surroundings are, they will always be colder than mortals. Kindred are not only colder, they are also paler in general. The lower humanity or the lower the amount of blood in a Kindred’s system, in fact, the paler and more “corpse-like” they tend to appear. Their skin is always smooth, waxy in some elder cases from a lack of producing body oils. It is this lacking that causes fire to be such a concern. While the human body is filled with water, fat, and other such reserves, a vampire’s body is but atrophied muscle glutted with cold vitae, their skin is dry and prone to easy igniting. Additionally, Kindred never feel tired or fatigued perhaps mentally, which is psychological unless very low (2 points or less) in Willpower. Should they have no (0) Willpower, they are exhausted and unable to function, unable to walk or even crawl. While a vampire may seem faster or stronger than a human, really it is because they do not experience fatigue. A human may be able to sprint for a full 12 seconds, but a Kindred can do so endlessly. Otherwise, from sundown to sunrise, they’re at their peak. Neither do they require “sleep.” A Kindred’s only “rest cycle” is the death-like state they succumb to during the day. When it comes to doing the horizontal tango I know you all want to ask, you do not have to spend blood points unless your Humanity is 5 or lower. Otherwise a vampire 'produces' the same suspended fluid that is present in their mouths and eyes, a clear glossy liquid that has no reproductive value, minute traces of blood within. Keep in mind that vampires have no sexual urges, though, and a Kindred must force themselves to become aroused. While younger neonates may replicate the act in order to stay close to their forgone humanity, once a few decades of being a cold corpse have piled on, the interest in such begins to wane. The only true ecstasy is that in feeding, which is much like imbibing in the strongest drug and having an orgasmic experience at the same time. Humans of higher birth or purer blood give a stronger reaction than a street bum, and drinking from another vampire near doubles this effect, more so if their generation is very low. Last, but not least, a Kindred’s lack of natural scent, as they have no means of producing it. That said, that doesn’t mean they’re without it. They smell regularly of blood, especially near their mouths and noses, and of the environments in which they spend their time. Other scents, like smoke, perfume, incense, or those of common toiletries (like shampoo or soap) also cling to them as normal. Eating & Drinking Eating and drinking anything but blood is disgusting to all vampires. Anything you ingest will not only taste bad, but will also be immediately vomited back up. Even those with the Eat Food merit, which allows you to hold down without the spend and enjoy it to a point, will have to puke up the food or drink they consume eventually. Anyone else attempting to eat or drink anything that is not blood or that contains blood will have to spend a blood point or immediately be faced with having to puke, right then, right there. Most vampires do not think the effort is worth the blood because even if you do spend, all food tastes of ash and dust. Low Humanity Those of a low Humanity, 4 and below, tend to start resembling the vampiric legends of yore. At first their flesh becomes noticeably pallid, even when freshly fed. Soon skin will start to recede, and all 'life' seems to fade from their eyes, giving them a pronounced predatory lean. Inwardly, a Kindred with low 'humanitas' will become uncaring, cold, downright callous to some. While they may try to fight the beast and seem placid for a time, sooner or later they will always pick themselves before others. While those on the brink can still emulate human emotion and attempt to regain what is lost, a Kindred below a Humanity of 3 rarely regains their former selves. The Nature of the Beast The Beast lurks within each vampire, a possessing spirit that craves blood and thrives on cruelty and violence. Capricious and malicious, it perpetually damns all vampires. As long as it howls, no matter how strong or faithful the Kindred is, redemption and salvation are forever beyond her grasp. It is the Beast that propels Kindred to become monsters, to devour and destroy everything they touch and care for. It makes vampires quick to anger and feeds on their emotions, tainting and corrupting them in the process. The Beast warps the vampire's identity, amplifying any mental flaws that the Kindred had when he was a human. A father confuses loves for obsession. A priest becomes set in his own righteousness, even going so far as excusing his vampiric sins as God's will. In the end, the Beast makes all vampires selfish. Their needs, their sins, their torment, their loves and hates become of singular importance, more important than anyone or anything else. It screams from the deepest bit of the soul begging to be released. The weak cave in and become feral monsters driven by the basest of desires and needs – usually survival and hunger. It is a state that those of the Camarilla both fear and vehemently deny because it means not only inevitable destruction, but ultimately the end of their former selves. The strong of will and conviction fare better, keeping their inner monster caged, feeding only when necessary and keeping their emotions in check. Many Kindred naturally seek to control their surroundings because the Beast is forever beyond their influence. Kindred might rule business empires and command sway over vast swaths of mortal influences, but they are reminded every night of the simple fact that they are nothing but slaves to their Beasts. Most terrifying of all is the subtlety of the Beast. It works to pervert everything a Kindred believes in. It constantly tries to poison the Kindred against those who mean no harm, filling her head with paranoid fears until the Kindred trusts no one, not even herself. In a way, the paranoia makes sense – after all, if this is what you’re feeling nightly, do you dare imagine what the vampire across from you is also experiencing, even as they stare at you? This is a struggle no vampire ever truly wins. There is no escaping the corrupting presence of the Beast, which begs and cajoles Kindred to commit atrocities to sate its selfish hunger. Frenzy The Beast is aptly named, for it is the animal mind of instincts and impulses. Very little about the Beast is rational, which is what many Kindred fear. Like an animal, the Beast lashes out with all its power and destroys all higher thought, plunging the vampire either into a frenzied blood rage (triggered by hunger or anger) or the mad fear called Rötschreck (the “Red Fear,” triggered by fire or sunlight). A vampire who is lost to the Beast is a terrifying thing. It knows nothing except rage, and it lashes out like a crazed animal against whoever steps in its way. For information on how to roll and roleplay this, go here. Animals If you are playing a vampire, unless you have one of the following traits: * Inoffensive to Animals Merit * Dots in Animalism * Dots in Animal Ken Animals that are not blood bound to you will be terrified of your character. They will not let you pet them, they will not let you come near them. They will run, bite or otherwise attack, because they recognize vampires as the predators they are. This means is that it is generally not a good idea for you to bring an animal that is bound to you to places that other vampires are. It is, in fact, a very bad idea to do this, because the mortals around will likely be wondering why Fido is howling while desperately trying to get away from the otherwise completely normal looking people around them. This is also hardly a great way to win friends and influence people amongst the vampire community. Animal Ken can negate this tendency to a point, but Animalism is the better skill to possess in order to be able to interact with animals. If your vampire has a pet, it's best that other vampires (unless they as well have the above-referenced traits) not ever encounter them.